Winless Coogs make some changes on defense

The Cougars plan to make some personnel changes on defense for Saturday’s game at No. 22 UCLA.

The first couple of changes, according to the two-deep chart released Tuesday, are at the safety positions.

Nickel cornerback Trevon Stewart, a true freshman, has been moved into the top spot at free safety and Colton Valencia is listed as the starter at strong safety.

Linebacker Derrick Mathews has two of the Cougars' four sacks this season. (Chronicle)

UH also made a change on the defensive line, moving Joey Mbu ahead of Dominic Miller at defensive tackle.

The changes may not stop here.

Head coach Tony Levine, without offering names, said other players would have an opportunity in practice this week to state cases for playing time.

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Levine said tackling would be a point of emphasis this week after the Cougars had 29 missed tackles in Saturday’s loss to Louisiana Tech.

After watching game film, Levine said the Cougars allowed 196 yards after the missed tackles.

“That’s unacceptable,” Levine said at his Tuesday press conference. “We’re not going to stop many people or win very many football games defensively tackling like that.”

Levine said the mistakes “are correctable” and the Cougars will focus on fixing things in practice this week.

“A lot of it is technique, maybe some of it is personnel,” Levine said. “Guys being out of control, guys ducking their head. If you duck your head and close your eyes … if you don’t see it you’re not going to tackle it.”

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Levine also said the Cougars need to improve the pass rush from their four-man front, which has been non-existent through two games. The Cougars did not have a sack and only one quarterback hurry against Louisiana Tech, allowing quarterback Colby Cameron time to complete 34-of-52 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns.

“We’ve got to get pressure on the quarterback,” Levine said. “We have not done that with our defensive line rushing the four. We’ve got to generate that by being creative and bringing other people, bringing linebackers, bringing safeties.

“We can’t give quarterbacks as much time as we did Saturday night when they are going to throw the football.”

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Here is where the Cougars rank nationally in the major defensive categories:

• 115th out of 124 teams in Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense (521 yards per game).
• 114th in scoring defense (43 points per game).
• 111th in run defense (246.5 yards per game).
• 93rd in pass defense (274.5 yards).

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• Wide receiver Isaiah Sweeney, who suffered a broken foot during the first week of preseason camp, could be out until midseason.

• Wide receiver Larry McDuffey, who missed the Louisiana Tech game with a lower leg injury, is listed as day-to-day.

• With starters Kevin Forsch and Ralph Oragwu out with injuries, the Cougars will shuffle their offensive line. Bryce Redman will start for Forsch at center and DeAnthony Sims will start for Oragwu at right tackle. The backups are Austin Lunsford (center) and Emeka Okafor (right tackle).

39 Responses

The tackling was horrible. I can’t understand how a player makes it to this level and doesn’t know how to wrap up and tackle. We don’t need big hits, just wrap up and bring down! I wish we could get four linebackers back on the field!

I think the problem is not so much tackling but not being in the right position eg., a lot of McMillian’s missed tackles were because he was out of position and trying to dive into the guy. Even worse he didn’t have support so he was trying to make the play. The problem seems being in the right position and having the right angle more than then inability to wrap up. These guys are not in position to wrap someone up so they have to try to dive or make arm tackles that are just not working. Also against LA Tech we saw the no huddle spread fatigue our D. I don’t think conditioning is where it was last year under the old conditioning coach.

Tackling wasn’t the only issue. There needs to be maneuvering in coaches as well. How many times can LA Tech run the same outside screen play without the defense adjusting? Apparently as much as they wanted. Guaranteed them at least 5 yards everytime.

I was in favor of the Levine hiring initially and still have hope for success. The team has not looked well coached. Penalties and other miscues are costing us dearly! Get it together fast or we will be looking for a new staff again at the end of the year!

I will be in LA to witness the effect of the changes!!! Eat ’em Up Coogs!!!!

I’m happy these D-issues are being addressed. One more thing to add to the list, CTL, is the offensive receivers making the catch as well as reducing penalties. If we address these areas here, I think we’ve got ourselves a football team

Another reason we’ve got to stop the run this week… his name is Johnathan Franklin. This kid playing for UCLA is just tearing it up over there at 431 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2 games. There’s a reason UCLA is #1 in PAC-12 South you guys

While I agree that tackling was a joke on Saturday, Coach Levine needs to have a conversation with the coaches. I don’t know how the Cougars could NEVER adjust to what the Bulldogs were doing. It was a swing pass followed by a run, swing pass, run, swing pass run. The guy next to me literally called 10 plays in a row for the Bulldogs correctly. If a fat guy full of beer can correctly guess most of the other team’s plays, surely a coaching staff that’s paid call plays for the defense should have some sense as to what’s going to happen.

Everybody expected Tony Levine to work miracles with a new team. They didn’t realize that he beat Penn State with the 13-1 team with Keenum at the controls. Be patient and he will put it together. Bill Yeoman won 2 games in each of his 2nd and 3rd seasons. He eventually built a winning program and had a hard time getting teams to even schedule us.

After the week one disaster Coach L turned the offense around like he said he would. Now the “D” has got his attention I expect he can get them to do that same turn around and make tackles and put some heat on the QB if that happens we are in the game. If not? well I am keeping the faith that we will, thinking this is a great week to start winning. Go Coogs!

Poor defense is not a new problem. Art Briles had 5 years and did not fix it. Kevin Sumlin had 4 years and did not fix it. Coach Levine has been here a few months. At least it looks like he recognizes the problem with tackling. I think you have to recruit tacklers.

Expectations are low for this game, so the coaching staff (READ DEFENSIVE STAFF) need to make the necessary adjustments and put the best possible players on the field, regardless of how many years of service they have.

Best hitter, best tackler, best reader of the game better be on the field. UCLA will be fielding larger, faster athletes than our first two opponents.

Took the words out of my mouth. Some of these guys need to understand that the scholarship they received is contingent on them being on the team, if you are on defense and can’t tackle….well then I hope you have a another means to pay the tuition.

I think someone already pointed this out but I have to get it off my chest. Poor tackling wasn’t the only issue. Our defensive coaches didn’t seem to know how to stop the bubble screen pass. It was embarrassing. After running it successfully twice in a row the bulldogs figured out that Houston was clueless about how to stop the bubble screen…and so they kept running it and running it and ate us up. It almost felt like the Houston coaches had never seen this play before…like the Bulldogs just invented it during the game.

Where is Kent Brooks? No mention on his injury status. And Offensively throwing to the flats 6 times in a row wont win may games and any conference. Where have to be able to spread the field or the run game will continue to struggle. js

Sorry Joseph, but we will be lucky to win two games this year. All those teams that we beat by 20, 30 & 40 points last year are licking their chops. Don’t look now, but Rice will be like Star Trek’s Khan when we play them at Reliant Stadium; “Revenge is best served cold!” I don’t care. I will suffer through this year’s horrible season after having a great time last year. Go Coogs!

If I recall the defense was on the field, often times in bad field position, THREE times longer than the offense. Also, La Tech was protecting a lead the entire game so they really didn’t have to do anything else except run plays they were real good at. I expect TL to move the D in a positive direction this week.

While the “W” are not here, I am seeing some good things from Coach Levine. By this I mean making adjustments from what he sees from film.
Accountability is on everyone here, not just Coach Levine and his staff but from our players. We are about to step into big boy football vs UCLA this weekend. With all do respect, it is time for everyone on this team to pull up their big boy undies and give it their absolute best shot this Saturday.

Poor tackling wasn’t the only issue. Our defensive coaches didn’t seem to know how to stop the bubble screen pass. It was embarrassing. After running it successfully twice in a row the bulldogs figured out that Houston was clueless about how to stop the bubble screen…and so they kept running it and running it and ate us up. It almost felt like the Houston coaches had never seen this play before…like the Bulldogs just invented it during the game.

He made no mention of coaching errors on defense. In the second half La Tech ran the same play six times in a row. No adjustments were made at all during this series. It was like the Defensive Cordinator fell asleep or went to the John. Tech ran the same play till they scored. I would think Levine would have been screaming his head off at the DC by this point. I’m not sure who needs more improvment Tony or his players! If he doesn’t get wins againist Rice,North Texas,and UAB I say he doesn’t make past a year .

Honestly, we’re putting Valencia in at safety. God help us because all I remember of him last year was being beat like a drum. Hurry up and get well Mr. Brooks ’cause this team REALLY needs you. I think the team should have sat down McMillan at corner and replaced him with Stewart, but that means problems at safety still would exist. I say try all D backs and see who can play at this level.

Just saw that Notre Dame is leaving the Big East. I know it does not effect the football, put this is just another blow for us before we even join the Big East. Was really looking forward to playing ND in baseball and basketball. I still like the move to the Big East, but it’s not nearly as big a move forward as this would have been 3-5 yrs ago.

Nothing on the defensive side of the ball these past two weeks has shown me, nor given me any reason not to believe that we are going to get destroyed and completely lit up this coming Saturday night in the Rose Bowl. You cannot fix an inept and poorly coached defense in 4 days when you have had had 7+ months to address the most basic issues that are clearly evident with D. It is going to be a blood-bath of epic proportions!

Same old same old. Yeah, right, correctable adjustments. Yada Yada Yada. UCLA 56 ( 600+yards ( 240 of which are rushing)) COOGS 24. Game over by half time. Note that TCU builds its team around defense. Doesn’t seem to sink in over on Cullen Blvd.

I hate to agree with you Mike, but I must, as your comments on TL’s press conference quotes and your prediction for Saturday night are right on target…With our poor excuse of Defense (man, this statement is getting old, isn’t it?!), we will be toast and left in the dust by half-time for sure!